The Imperfect The Imperfect TenseTense

Imperfect Tense EndingsImperfect Tense Endings“-AR” VERBS“-AR” VERBS

-aba

-abas

-aba -ábamos-abais-aban

hablar – to speakhablar – to speak

hablaba

hablaban

hablabais

hablábamos

hablabashablaba

Imperfect Tense EndingsImperfect Tense Endings“-ER/-IR” VERBS“-ER/-IR” VERBS

-ía

-ías-ía -íamos

-íais

-ían

comer – to eatcomer – to eat

comía

comían

comíais

comíamos

comías

comía

jugar – to playjugar – to play (no stem changes!)(no stem changes!)

jugaba

jugaban

jugabais

jugábamos

jugabas

jugaba

vivir – to livevivir – to live

vivía

vivían

vivíais

vivíamos

vivías

vivía

ir - to goir - to go

iba

iban

ibais

íbamos

ibas

iba

ser – to beser – to be

era

eran

erais

éramos

eras

era

ver – to seever – to see

veía

veían

veíais

veíamos

veías

veía

What are the uses of the Imperfect What are the uses of the Imperfect Tense?Tense?

1) To describe an event in the 1) To describe an event in the past that USED TO occur. past that USED TO occur.

This could have happened This could have happened regularly, frequently, from regularly, frequently, from time to time, now and again time to time, now and again

Implies it happened more Implies it happened more than once.than once.

Example: Siempre iba a la Example: Siempre iba a la casa de mis abuelos. casa de mis abuelos.

I always used to go to my I always used to go to my grand-parents house.grand-parents house.

Expressions Used to Help Expressions Used to Help Identify the Imperfect TenseIdentify the Imperfect Tense

a menudo – a menudo – oftenoften normalmente - normalmente - normallynormally siempre - siempre - alwaysalways cada día – cada día – every dayevery day todos los días- todos los días- every dayevery day con frecuencia – con frecuencia – frequentlyfrequently frecuentemente - frecuentemente - frequentlyfrequently

Expressions Used to Help Expressions Used to Help Identify the Imperfect TenseIdentify the Imperfect Tense

con regularidad - con regularidad - regularlyregularly muchas veces – muchas veces – many timesmany times a veces - a veces - sometimessometimes de vez en cuando –de vez en cuando –once in a once in a

whilewhile una vez a la semana – una vez a la semana – once a once a

weekweek una vez al día – una vez al día – once a dayonce a day una vez al año – una vez al año – once a yearonce a year

Expressions Used to Help Expressions Used to Help Identify the Imperfect TenseIdentify the Imperfect Tense

de niño/ade niño/aen mi niñezen mi niñezcuando era niño/acuando era niño/a

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 2)To indicate actions that 2)To indicate actions that WERE GOING ON at the time WERE GOING ON at the time about which you are about which you are speaking. speaking.

Ongoing actions “-ing”Ongoing actions “-ing” Example: Mientras hablaba, Example: Mientras hablaba, ellos jugaban al fútbol. ellos jugaban al fútbol.

While I was talking, they While I was talking, they were playing soccer. were playing soccer.

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 3) To DESCRIBE the way 3) To DESCRIBE the way people that you are people that you are remembering looked or remembering looked or were.were.

Description / Personality Description / Personality Example: Mi abuela era baja Example: Mi abuela era baja y simpática. y simpática.

My grandmother was short My grandmother was short and nice. and nice.

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 4) To express HOW OLD 4) To express HOW OLD SOMEONE WAS IN THE SOMEONE WAS IN THE PAST: AGEPAST: AGE

Example: Mi abuelo tenía Example: Mi abuelo tenía 60 años cuando yo nací. 60 años cuando yo nací.

My grandfather was 60 My grandfather was 60 years old when I was years old when I was born. born.

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 5) To express past states 5) To express past states of HEALTH/Feelings.of HEALTH/Feelings.

Example: Mi abuela Example: Mi abuela estaba enferma. estaba enferma.

My grandmother was My grandmother was sick. sick.

Me sentía nerviosa…Me sentía nerviosa…

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 6) To set the BACKGROUND of 6) To set the BACKGROUND of

a story. (DESCRIPTION)a story. (DESCRIPTION) Eran las ocho. Eran las ocho. (TIME)(TIME)

It was 8. It was 8. Llovía mucho. Llovía mucho. (WEATHER)(WEATHER)

It was raining.It was raining. Estábamos en casa. Estábamos en casa.

(LOCATION)(LOCATION) We were at home. We were at home.

Uses of the Imperfect TenseUses of the Imperfect Tense 7) To express ATTITUDES 7) To express ATTITUDES and BELIEFS that were held and BELIEFS that were held at that time in the past. at that time in the past.

Mental Activity – thought Mental Activity – thought processesprocesses

Example: Yo creía que ella Example: Yo creía que ella era delgada. era delgada.

I thought she was thin. I thought she was thin.

Common Verbs of this Common Verbs of this Nature:Nature:

querer – querer – to wantto want desear – desear – to desireto desire preferir - preferir - to preferto prefer poder – poder – to be able toto be able to sentir – sentir – to be sorry , regretto be sorry , regret pensar – pensar – to thinkto think saber – saber – to knowto know creer- creer- to think, beleiveto think, beleive

How do I conjugate in the How do I conjugate in the Imperfect Tense?Imperfect Tense?

You drop the ENDING and You drop the ENDING and add a given set of add a given set of endings to the STEM. endings to the STEM.

Are there stem changes?Are there stem changes?NO!NO!

Are there spelling Are there spelling changes?changes?NO!NO!

How do I conjugate in the How do I conjugate in the Imperfect Tense?Imperfect Tense?

Are there irregulars? YES Are there irregulars? YES But…there are only THREE !But…there are only THREE ! IR , SER and VERIR , SER and VER GUSTAR: Only two forms-GUSTAR: Only two forms- gustaba / gustabangustaba / gustaban Me gustaba bailar. Me gustaba bailar. ¿Te gustaban las muñecas?¿Te gustaban las muñecas?

How do I conjugate in the How do I conjugate in the Imperfect Tense?Imperfect Tense?

To say “there was / To say “there was / there were” (“hay” in there were” (“hay” in the present tense) : the present tense) : habíahabía

Example: Example: HabíaHabía muchas muchas personas en la escuela. personas en la escuela.

There were a lot of There were a lot of people at school.people at school.